Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections

Public Opinion is the combined thoughts of the general public. When it comes to politics, public opinion is vital for several factors. Voting, activism, supporting campaigns and writing letters to senators are all examples of how public opinion is displayed. The American people are the force behind public opinion. The outcome of an opinion can be used to determine predictions for major events such as elections. Public opinion can also help political figures understand how they are working and gives feedback on certain policies. Historical events taking place in the world also contribute to the thoughts of a citizen. In a country as large as America, the attitude citizens have on the government, policies and political figures benefits both the general public and politicians. There are many classifications opinions have one of them being opinions such as broad expressions, a persons viewpoint on politics. When a survey is conducted, the result a surveyor will receive is latent opinion, a response given on the spot. When a person is asked a question, they will use the knowledge they have of the certain topic to answer the question. They might take in several considerations such as political party identification and beliefs before responding. Ones opinion can come from many sources. Political socialization is the action of how politics can form the opinion of a unified group such as a community. Political socialization is dependent on the location of the community. The events that a community may experience as a group can form a persons political identification. While a persons upbringing can shape an opinion, physical appearance can also be a contributing factor. Voters look for candidates they can identify themselves with. In order to find out the public opinion on a certain issue or topic, a survey must be conducted. Using a diverse population and a sample, data is gathered to achieve accuracy.

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections

Surveys are very time consuming according to American Politics Today. Retrieving answers from a population can be collected from a variety of acts such as random digit dialing and faceto-face surveys. These methods may not always be effective and surveyors turn to other ways of gathering opinions. When a person is given a question over a certain topic, their responses may not always be truthful. Knowledge about the government, policy mood or low trust conflict with accuracy of a survey. Chapter 5 explains the role of media in public opinion. There are several media outlets such as Print, broadcast and the internet. With methods such as slant, cross ownership and filtering, public opinion can be based upon many things. Print media sources such as newspapers have not been as successful as they used to be but are not extinct yet. Broadcast still remains hopeful in delivering news to the public through the evening National news. Although broadcast information remains popular among some Americans, it is obvious that the internet has taken over when it comes to informing audiences. With the broadcast and print media being tied to the FCCs regulations, the internet gives more freedom for citizens when it comes to how news is received and distributed. The internet is beneficial for both politicians and the public. The internet gives access to social media outlets like Twitter, which helps politicians, communicate directly with normal individuals and other political figures. This gives the audience the privilege to become informed about the politics surrounding their world and can even help find their Party ID. Due to the large population America has, there is no agreement among citizens. There will never be a definite public opinion because every citizen has the right to choose their beliefs and decisions. Although disagreements will always be present, compromise is possible.

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections

Like many things in the political world, political parties are central to conflict. There are various parties out there but the two main political parties seem to have a better chance at victory. A party consists of a large group of people with the common goal of supporting their political beliefs and help their preferred candidate gain victory. There are several types of party organizations ranging from party in government, and electorate. Candidates in a typical race try to achieve a victory in these organizations. Americas government has seen many political parties come and go. Beginning with the first party that consisted of the federalists and democratic republicans which then proceeded to the 2nd party, also known as the era of good feelings due to only one party being the majority. The 2nd party eventually came across a new party, the Whigs and the democratic republicans shortened their name to just the Democrats. This new change brought innovations by the democratic electoral including Van Burens Party Principle and the Spoils System. By the 3rd party, the Whigs soon diminished due to members being split on the issue of slavery. The two parties going head-to-head were now the Republicans and Democrats. The formation of political machines came with the 4th party. Political machines were organizations with the purpose of emphasizing parties while providing services to citizens. Although they did seem successful, political machines soon saw their fate. Straight out of the Great Depression came the 5th party movement. During this era, many changes in the nation occurred due to FDRs proposal of the New Deal Coalition. During the 6th party, America was undergoing the civil rights movement. Much like the 3rd party, the nation was split on civil rights. This split among parties caused a realignment in the country.

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections

In order for a party to gain supporters, many steps need to be accomplished. Brand names of political parties seem to be evident. Much like the brand of a company, someone can associate an opinion on a certain issue with a political party. Parties may take advantage of these brand names by showcasing their decisions and platform. Minor parties, also considered third parties, are not known for active promotion but have seen some victories in some states in previous elections. Minor parties are also helpful by avoiding a major split between the two main political parties. Once a citizen discovers their Party ID, they may decide to actively support a group by becoming activists. An activist promotes the party and informs citizens about the party they support with the hopes of gaining more support for an upcoming election. A citizen can also decide to support a party through funds which helps campaigns. Becoming an activist can impact the behavior during elections. During election season, a party will either undergo a caucus or conference depending on the party. At these events, supporters discuss issues and assign leadership positions. A Primary is held which determines the nominees for a general election. A nominating convention must also take place in order for a political party to choose their presidential and Vice presidential nominee. The principle component of a party is the national committee. The national committee are political action committees, which are typically affiliated with a major party. The party in governments function is to become identifiable with potential supporters, set agendas and coordinate laws. By reading the book, it seems as if a partys goal is to reach the title of party in government. Although parties are organized a certain way, there is a misconception that there are hierarchies present. Whether one chooses democrat, republican or a third party, each and every decision made affects the outcome of elections. Although each party has distinct characteristics, they have the

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections

ability to unify social groups and other parties. Political parties are an essential in the world of politics and are direct connections among Americans.

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections

Much like political parties in the previous chapter, elections are notorious for causing conflict as well. When it comes to elections, process matters. Sure, policies will most likely remain the same but compromises will also occur. According to American Politics today, compromises are essential to winning but there are other key factors that contribute to a victory. Chapter 7 clarifies that the main purpose of an election does not necessarily mean voting directly for a candidate, it often means voting for individuals that will vote on ones behalf. House and Senate elections perform differently than general national elections. Similar to a general election, they must go through a Primary. Senate candidates compete at the state level and house candidates compete in congressional districts. Winner is determined typically through plurality voting. Before a campaign can officially start, party committees issue rules and nominations are chosen. In order for a nominee to become a candidate, they must first get support from the majority of delegates. The process of beginning a campaign then moves on to a convention. The purpose of a political partys convention is to attract potential voters. Although a campaign can begin before the convention is held, it does mark the unofficial start to the actual campaign. Party committees can finally put their ideas to work when the campaign starts. The amount of fundraising for a campaign can act as a window in which everyone takes a glimpse beyond what they see now and predict who will most likely win an election. Although a large sum of money spent for a campaign may sound contradicting, especially if a candidate promotes budget cuts or government spending, there is no doubt that it will increase chances of winning. Fundraising can be considered the foundation of a campaign. By fundraising, a campaign is able to move forward and earn public support in certain ways. For example, the book mentions that in

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections

many campaigns, especially congressional elections, use money to build name recognition. For elections in general, it is important for a candidate to attract attention. There are two ways on how money can be spent, soft money and hard money. The difference between the two is soft money helps promote the candidate while hard money can be used to attack the opponent. Whether its through campaign ads, turning to social media or purchasing helpful data, parties will reach out towards the American people in various forms to gain voter turnout. Campaign organizations work around the clock to maintain a successful state of their party while the American people sit back, watch the debates, see the campaign unfold before their eyes and come up with a decision for Election Day. There are voting cues that can influence the decision of a voter including partisanship and incumbency. A voter can be influenced on a personal level through the characteristics of a candidate or by receiving help from a candidate in some way. Voting cues also consist of retrospective evaluations or by simply voting in opposition of one of the candidates. While an individual can see the progress of a campaign, they do have the option of becoming involved in the campaign in some way. In the 2012 election, we saw many differences from the 2008 election. One issue that did not leave was the state of the US economy. In 2008, President Barack Obama was a favorite among those who wanted the government to address the economy. As his first term was coming to a close, approval rating for Obama decreased and the House and Senate gained republican members. The 2012 election was a close race for Obama as he went head-to-head with Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Romney was quite successful during the race as he won electorate points from debates and spent over a billion dollars to help with his campaign. On the early hours of Election Day, Romney seemed to be in the lead but that changed as Obama won votes in swing states like Ohio, Nevada and Florida. By the end of the day, polls showed that

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections Obamas approval was just over 50%. In addition to a democrat winning office, democrats also won seats in the House and Senate. Republicans attempted to redistrict and democrats in vulnerable districts. This plan failed due to Democratic state governors unapproved decision of the change and because of nonpartisan commissions. Even after an election is over, both the winners and the losers begin strategizing for the next campaign season. While political figures and parties do all the dirty work in the campaign leading up to the elections, it is the decision made by voters on Election Day that control the outcome of the race. When parties gain support, the differences among Americans and their political beliefs become evident during election season. In the US, the split in the government is also reflected in citizens during campaign season.

Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Reflections